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Another report of M4 performance
"Tim,
Skinned a couple more yearling cattle yesterday and the knife is still shaving sharp. Thanks again
zach"


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So being of sound mind I been finishing some of the CPM M4 in knives for myself. I already have more "personal" knives
than I can use, but I am sooooo good to myself.

It seems that 21 degrees gives a very nice edge for all shapes and blade thickness. I go to 600 grit and then leather strop.
I need to do some more extensive cutting and whittling to see how the edge retention is, but seems really good at this point.

Anyone who got one of this batch that would like a resharpen by me, it will only cost you the shipping to get it to me.

Have any of you done a resharpen on one of these blades yet?????? If so????????

Thanks
Tim
PS: IFFF I could post pics here I would show my personal knives here.
I can send a pic by smart ass phone if someone wants to post it here.

Last edited by michiganroadkill; 07/11/19.

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I am still using mine at the steeper angle (more like 15 degrees) and it does not seem to be too much. The edge does not roll and the thing stays shaving sharp. I will start killing deer in two months now so pretty soon I will run the blade over the diamond stone again and then polish on a water stone and after that I will just use it on deer gutting, shinning, breaking down into quarters boning out the carcass (Ribs and neck) and then it will be used for boning out the quarters. Once that begins I do not expect to have much to report until it gets dull enough to need to see the diamond stone again. That looks to me like it will take several years at least from the use I have put it through over the summer so far. Nothing seems to bother it. My favorite VG-10 knife with nearly the same geometry took just over two years (nine deer). I intend to compare apples to apples so I will only use it on deer once I start the test. If you want a interim report before I come back at the "end" just email me.

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Tim,

You made me the little 3.25" caper with thin green micarta handles and red liners in your second M4 run. It's pictured in the "What blade makers interest you most?" thread. I hadn't gotten the opportunity to use it until this evening. I skinned out a respectable whitetail buck (10 points and 165-170 pounds) with it down to the ears. Popped both front legs at the joint with it and down cut to the radial joint in the neck to get the head. I didn't sharpen it beyond what it was in the sheath before I started and when I was done it would still literally shave hair off my arm. Pulled a bit though. The blade is perfect for what I had it built for and I sincerely could not be happier with its performance.

It's an exceptional knife, and the second of your M4 knives I've had. Both out performed my expectations.

Thank you for making it for me.

Frank

Last edited by fshaw; 11/06/19.
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Frank

Thanks for that report.

Seems to be a pretty good steel so far.

Thanks
Tim


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Loaned the caper to a good friend that skinned out a mostly frozen 12 pointer with it over the weekend. Would also shave hair at the end of that along all points on the blade including the belly that does most of the cutting while skinning. Can't really ask for much more than that. Truly a great little knife.

Last edited by fshaw; 11/13/19.
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And I think that one was at 24 degrees, but may have been 21.
Nice report.
Thanks
Tim


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I have sent a couple dozen knives to 24 members in the last couple months after I switched to an
18 degree setting on my Edge Pro for final sharpening bevel.
I was doing mostly 21 degrees before.
Most were M4 and a couple other steels.

What is the report on the 18 degree edge??????
Works for you? Would be better if......... Or ?.......

I have not used that angle in field yet, but it sure cuts me easily.
Seems to do good on the whittling of beech and edge holding I have done.
I do not see a reason to use a more narrow angle, but a steeper angle seems better on some blades.

???????
Tim


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Tim, I have two of your skinners in M4. How about I send one back to you and have the angle changed? I will foot the cost of course. That would give a good comparison


Sam......

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Sam
Sure. No cost other than your shipping.
Tim


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FWIW I got a little paring / B&T from Tim in CPM M4 and thought it about perfect for deer too. It went through 4 this year and is still sharp enough to peel grapes.


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Note: I just started putting the angle sharpened at on the back of the 3x5
card when I started doing 18 degrees.
Before that probably 21 degrees.


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I have sharpened mine to 15 degrees and it has done two deer, gut, skin, disassemble and some of the boning out. The nose is actually a little steeper, probably 10 degrees. It remains shaving sharp and likely will not be used until next year.

I have very often sharpened knives of decent steel like this, and the only ones that I will not do this steep are the carbon steel blades that are much more prone to corrosion. Those knives, like the old Sabatier carbon blades will go dull just from cutting meat and washing them. I strongly suspect that it i because the very, very fine edge has a tendency to corrode rather than wear. IMO it would be a complete waste of time to put them on a water stone and polish the edge at 5-8 thousand grit. M4 it seems to me is well more than corrosion resistant enough to warrant it though. The patina on the blade has not changed since last fall.

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Finally got to use the new skinner that Tim sent. Processed nearly an entire adult beef cow (skin, gut, quarter, trim) today. Washed the knife when I got home and it easily shaved hair. Couple passes on the strop and it was popping hair. Great knife and great design.

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Good to hear. Thanks for the report.


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A customer use update.


"First, I have been using the stiff filet knife more, and not just on fish. I have found it's a very good knife for deboning pork shoulders when I make sausage, and close enough for keeping at hand when I am grinding to make the chunks of pork and venison that do not fit into the grinder a little bit smaller. It filets jumbo (1 pound or so) perch nicely. I think were I still fishing Nipigon a lot it would be the knife I carried day in and day out for gutting and gilling big trout and fileting fish for camp meals.

Secon, I have got another deer done on the little M4 blade and it's still shaving sharp, so that makes three so far. I am planning on a minimum of three more deer this fall and maybe five more. I will keep track of it for you, but my suspicions are it will at least match the VG-10 blade I did nine with before I sharpened it. I do nothing to protect the blade, no oil or anything. and I leave it sitting in water for extended periods (like over night) and never has shown any sign of rust. I still has a slight patina to it so maybe that oxidation is protective? Crucible might could tell you about that, but I am not worried enough to take the time to ask. As far as I am concerned, the difference between it and the Japanese super steels is mainly that M4 seems to be a little "tougher" and that seems to make it a little harder to sharpen. That's a very, very small down side I suppose but for that to make any difference a person would have to be foolish enough to try sharpening that kind of steel without diamond stones. M4 does have a Very different feel to it when it comes to putting it on ceramic rods. I may still set the edge on it to 10 degrees when I get around to sharpening it again, something I would advise you to try because I think it will work and be a slicing sonofabitch. (isn't that what knives are for?) Make yourself a steak knife and see how long a 10 degree edge edge lasts when cutting meat on a ceramic plate. I can say for sure that a 15 degree edge with this M4 holds up. It has gutted, skinned, dismembered and stripped the meat off the carcass on three deer without needing sharpened so far."

Thanks for the report.
Tim


Last edited by michiganroadkill; 09/22/20.

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I see 24*, 21*, 15*, 10*...

How are you all measuring those???


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Originally Posted by Journeyman
I see 24*, 21*, 15*, 10*...

How are you all measuring those???


18* now added...


You can no more tell someone how to do something you've never done, than you can come back from somewhere you've never been...
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Bill
I use and Edge Pro and I am satisfied that the settings marked on it are close enough for me.
From previous interactions with you, I know you of a more detailed mind set than most of us.
Your knowledge and testing is appreciated.

I do not really care how many rope cuts a knife will make, but when such info is shared, I look
at it and try to learn something form it. Such as a video you linked me to.

If the final bevel has a few micro variations, I can live with that. As long as my knife is sharp enough
to pop arm hair, causes me to bleed if I accidently touch the cutting edge and does multiple animals
in the field, I am a happy camper.

I have learned that my reloading protocol only needs to be moderately refined for hunting and I am
happy with a blade that performs very well for me in the field.

Your lab level of looking at blades is appreciated.
Not sure what others opinions/procedures are.
Tim


"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
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At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
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